Paramedics responded to a tragedy on a Laval day bus last year

A year ago, when a city bus crashed into a kindergarten, killing two children and injuring six others, the tragedy in Laval not only affected the community there and all Quebecers, but the day and the event stayed with the paramedics.

Urgens-sante responded quickly to the call on February 8, 2023 at 8:03 am.

“We have work to do,” said press secretary and paramedic Jean-Pierre Rouleau. “It's always harder for kids to get involved because you get emotional, it's heartbreaking.”

Nine ambulances and 18 paramedics were dispatched along with several other Urgens-Sante personnel.

“You're running on adrenaline, on the bell, you've got to focus, you've got to do what you've got to do,” Rouleau said. “How do you react once the adrenaline wears off.

Some people are fine, they want to get back on track and life goes on, some need therapy, some need help, some need time, depending on how you handle things.”

Rouleau was on the ground on February 8 and supported his teammates.

“We often think of the parents when we're on the scene, we put ourselves in their shoes, and that makes it difficult to intervene, especially when you see a child in a bad situation,” she said.

Rouleau says paramedics are always faced with tragedy, and the bus attack was one of the hardest calls, as paramedics treated and transported children to hospitals in Laval and Montreal.

“Usually after the call, we assist the paramedics and medical dispatchers,” he said.

On that day, a crisis center was established for paramedics to receive psychological support.

“25 years ago you were weak to talk about it, it was taboo,” he said. “Times have changed now and we need to talk about it.”

Rouleau responded to the 2006 Dawson College shooting in Montreal that left one student dead and 19 others injured.

“Each paramedic has his own story, history, so we all had to live in different situations,” he said. “We cannot erase what we have done, but we must learn to live with it.

The driver has been charged with nine counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, related to the kindergarten case.

“The people of Laval, they are with us today and we offer our condolences,” says Rouleau.